A stellar crew turned out at the Lucky Lab Beer Hall last month to brew Benvention Imperial Mild as a tribute to Ben Flerchinger, the longtime and much-loved Lucky Lab brewer who suddenly passed away in March. Hundreds of friends, family, brewers and industry types turned out for a memorial last Sunday at the Lucky Lab Beer Hall that included tears, hugs, toasts, photos, great Ben stories and the tribute beer, which was was on tap with several others including the last collaboration Ben brewed at Lompoc and Zeppelin Amber, a beer he brewed at his sadly short stint at 54′ 40″ Brewing in Washougal, WA. (FoystonFoto)Benvention Imperial Mild recipe. This beer was brewed in honor of the late Ben Flerchinger. (FoystonFoto)

Celebrate Fred Eckhardt, Star Wars, bicycles and Gigantic Brewing with good beer, of course. Here are the Portland beer events for the week of May 4th.

Star Wars MarathonNoon-11 p.m. Thursday May 4, Chill N Fill, 5215 N Lombard St.;
Join Ecliptic Brewing and the Chill N Fill crew in celebrating everyone’s favorite science-fiction series as they screen Star Wars Episodes I – VI all day with sound. Also: Star Destroyer, an Imperial Darkside Lager, a collaboration between Ecliptic Brewing and Gigantic Brewing Company will be pouring, and Chewbacca will be pouring pints at 5 p.m., plus prizes for best dressed.

Movies will start at 12:30 PM, with short breaks between each. Sign up for the costume contest at our register and make sure the bartender takes a photo of you when you sign up. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will respectively receive a $50 gift card, $25 gift card, and a growler with a gift card to fill it. Also make sure and check out the art wall of Star Wars and other Sci-Fi art made by local artists and offered at great prices.

Gigantic Brewing Fifth Anniversary Show7 p.m. Friday May 5, Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave.; $15
Gigantic celebrates five years with a night of tasty beer and local music, including Y La Bamba, Wooden Indian Burial Ground, bed and The Comfy Boyz. Gigantic was founded in SE Portland in 2012 with one mission: to make delicious beer. Gigantic labels feature original art created by artists from around the world. Recently the brewery also started pairing songs with their beers, including a free download on each seasonal beer label. The show features bands that have or will appear on Gigantic seasonal beer releases.

Filmed by Bike Opening Night Street Party5-9:30 p.m. Friday May 5, Velo Cult Bike Shop + Tavern Back Parking Lot, 1990 NE 41st Ave.; free, all ages.
Filmed By Bike has grown into a major event. This year it comprises 80 films from 74 filmmakers from 18 countries over three days. The party features the Base Camp Brewing Beer Garden, live DJs, main stage entertainment, Bike Confessional Storytelling Booth, a photo booth, live performance art, the slow bike race, lots of bike parking and group processions from the party to the Hollywood Theatre.

Big Brew Worldwide Toast10 a.m. PDT Saturday May 6, you favorite pub or homebrew supply shop
More than a million Americans now brew their own beer and in honor of National Homebrew Day, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) celebrates AHA Big Brew on the first Saturday in May. Throughout the day on May 6, hundreds of bars, breweries, shops and homebrew clubs nationwide will host their local communities to brew on-site for a national, same-day homebrewing session. This year’s official Big Brew recipes— Rushmore American IPA, Battre L’oie Saison and Klang Freudenfest Oktoberfest Lager—celebrate the upcoming release of the fourth edition of How to Brew by John Palmer, which is one of the all-time best and most beloved homebrewing guides. At noon CDT, all homebrewers and beer lovers are encouraged to raise their glass in a simultaneous toast to the hobby.

The great Fred Eckhardt at the first FredFest held at the former, original location of Hair of the Dog. (image courtesy of The Oregonian)Fred Eckhardt was always a staple at the many beer festivals in the Rose City. (FoystonFoto)

12th Annual FredFest2- 6 p.m. Sunday May 7, Hair of the Dog Brewing Co., 61 SE Yamhill St.; $85 includes beer and buffet.
Dear Fred Eckhardt is no longer with us, damn the luck, but his influence lives on, as does his birthday party, FredFest. It’s a celebration of Fred Eckhardt’s life and his seminal role in beer culture, as we know it today. Tickets are $85 and include a commemorative glass and an endless beer food buffet. This year they’ll have more types of beer from each brewer – more than two-dozen in all – and brewers already committed this year include Block 15, Boneyard, Holy Mountain, Rubens Brew and Hair of the Dog. Because Hair of the Dog picks up the tab for all expenses, and many of the brewers donate beers to the cause, 100 percent of FredFest ticket sales go to their selected charities.

Gigantic Beer Week Draft Beer Showcase5 – 8 p.m. Monday May 8, Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St;
Belmont Station throws a party for Gigantic’s fifth anniversary and they’re tapping some pretty awesome Gigantic beers: some favorites, some one-offs that Gigantic decided to bring back just for their anniversary, their newest year-round beer (Kölschtastic) and a special sneak preview.

About The Author

John

John Foyston is Oregon's longest serving beer writer, and wrote a
weekly beer column for The Oregonian until just recently. His
work has appeared on CNN, and in Beer Connoisseur, Celebrator Beer
News, Oregon Beer Growler, Mix Magazine and other publications and
will occasionally appear on these pages, at least until Angelo and DJ
get tired of him too...He can be followed on Twitter at @beerherejohnny.